Process of beach-building.



J. P. REMINGTON.

PROCESS OF BEACH BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. H6-

1 274,450. Patented Aug. 6, 19m

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' Imwwlom Josqviz iifa z aminyion,

I I I i i I I A I I I I J. P. REMINGTON.

PROCESS OF BEACH BUILDING.

I. I I I I APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. I916.

Patented Aug. 6, l9l&

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH PERCY REMINGTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF BEACH-BUILDIN G.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

Application filed May 20, 1916. Serial No. 98,730.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn PERCY REM ixe'rtm, residing at Philadelphia,in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, hav invented anew and useful Process of Beach-Building, whereof the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a process of beach building in which the powerof the waves themselves is utilized for the purpose, and moreparticularly to a method and means whereby the destructive and erosiveforces of the waves and tides are checked and separated from theconstructive forces which a re thereby enabled to carry on their normalwork of accumulating and piling up sand without this work beingimmediately undone.

The changes and alterations in any beach due to the action of the wavesdepend ontirely on the ratio between the amount of sand which is carriedin and deposited by each incoming wave, and the amount which is carriedout by the succeeding ebb. The relative strength of these two actionswill determine whether the beach builds up or wears away. Each wave orbreaker as it approaches the beach, carries with it a certain amount ofsand, which though drawn up from the bottom is carried in suspensionthroughout the whole wave. When the wave is dissipated on the beach, thesuspended sand is precipitated and will remain on the beach, unlesscarried out by the ebb. The receding flow, however, may collect thissand which has just been deposited and may draw out with it other sandfrom the surface of the beach. But all the sand carried thereby, havingjust been drawn from the beach, remains for some time in the lower layerof the receding flow, which is not normally more than an inch or so inthickness.

If the lower outgoing l'ayer travels very rapidly or encounters anotherincoming flow, so that the sand carried thereby is stirred up throughthe whole wave, precipitation is prevented and the beach wears away butif this layer travels at a comparatively slow rate of speed, and doesnot encounter any incoming flow, then precipitation is permitted, andthe beach builds up.

This process is going on all the time, and is the same in storms as incalms, but. much more rapid in its operation in storms. because of theincrease in both forces, and the fact that side currents may cause theincom parallel to the shore line, but these have. never been more thanpartially successfula It is true that jetties will prevent a strongcurrent running parallel to the shore from setting in so close as toeat, it away; but they will not affect the changes due to the normalaction of the waves coming directly in. Bnlkheads on the other hand willnot prevent a side current from setting in, and merely oppose theirforce to that of the waves. As a result each wave is turned back on thenext succeeding one, so that when they meet the sand is so stirred upthat it has no chance to precipitate. In addition to this eddies andside currents are formed which have a scouring effect on the beach, andcarry away vast quantities of sand. This is especially true duringstorms. Both of these methods are, however, attempts to oppose thenormal action of the waves.

It is the object of my invention to check the erosive forces of thewaves without opposing the constructive forces and to so regulate theseforces that the relation between them is always in favor of theconstructive forces, so that continual building of the beach results. Inaccomplishing the object advantage is taken of the fact that sand iscarried by the incoming and outgoing waves at different levels, asdescribed. I, there-' fore, provide means for preventing separating theaction of the incoming and outgoing flows, and the outward passage ofthe sand in a manner which does affect its inward passage.

To this end I place a builder consisting of a low and substantiallywatcrtight retaining wall at some point on the beach where the waves canflow over it,'provided with one or more V shaped pockets, in a linesubstantially parallel to the line of the shore.

The wall is low enough and is so placed that the 'landward flow duringat least part of each tidal period will be able to pass over and beyondit without being materially impeded. But on the other hand it must behigh enough to hold back the undertow, or lower strata of eachsucceeding seaward flow. As has been explained, nearly all of the sandcarried by the receding seaward flow is carried in this lower layer, andby checking the speed of this lower layer at the same place each time,the sand carried by it will be given a chance to precipitate and de-'posit at that place, while the clear water will flow off over the top ofthe barrier. In this manner the erosive wash is prevented or at theeffect of constricting. the wave front andincreasing the speed of thewaves so that they are given power enough tocarry the sand over theretaining wall at the landward points of the pockets. The seaward flow,on the other hand, is divided by the landward points of the wall anddeflected into the pockets on the other side, and caused to flow offover the seaward apices. In this way the lower layer of the seaward flowis checked and caused to pass back 'over the wall at'difierent pointsfrom that at which the incoming flow passes over it. As a result the twoforces do not encounter each other, and there is no stirring up of thesand carried by the seaward fiow which would prevent precipitation.

As a result of this process the sand from each outgoing wave isprecipitated in one of the V shaped pockets, and is collected thereuntil the pocket gradually becomes filled up,

At the same time any back wash or scouring action is prevented in frontof the retaining wall and a dead water space provided instead. This deadwater space allows the deep water sand to precipitate and settle on ithe seaward side of the jetty, from whence it is later forced landwardover the barrier. In this Way the beach builds up in front of the wallas well as in back of it.

process may be repeated and more sand collected until the new height isreached. By increasing the height of the'wall each'time that the pocketsbecome filled up,'the height of the beach may be increased until.finally it reaches a point where the waves will no longer flow over it,and consequently no more sand can be deposited.

After this point has been reached, the beach may be further built up andextended by the erection of new builders on the seaward side of thefirst, and increasing their height as they fill up, until the limit isBy then increasing the height of the builder, the

leached. In this way by the addition of But in all cases in order tohave the builder operate successfully, the walls must-be low enough toallow the waves to flow over them,-

at least at the landward apices, for the entire amount of sand which canbe collected'will depend on the amount which is brought over the barrierby the incoming waves. I will now describe appropriate construction bywhich I may carry out my process.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure I, is a plan view of a beach, show1ng the application of aconvenient form of beach builder employed in carrying out my invention.

Fig. II, is a sectional elevation taken on .line II-II in Fig. I.

Figs. III and IV, are detail sectional views on a somewhat larger scaleshowing the successive stages of beach building as practised accordingto my invention.

The builder consists broadly of a low and substantially water-tightretaining wall 1, constructed preferably in a substantially zig-zag linerunning parallel to the beach and providing landward pockets 2, andseaward pockets 3. Owing to the natural slope of the beach the seawardpockets 3, are shallowest at their apices 5, and the landward pockets 2,are deepest at their apices 4. As a result, the landward flow isdeflected by the apices 4, into'the pockets 3, and caused to pass overthe walls nearthe shallow part at the apices 5. The receding seawardflow is deflected by the apices 5, and into the pockets 2, so that it iscaused to pass back over the barrier at apices 4, at which points thetop of the wall is highest from the beach. In this way the seaward flowis checked by the wall 1, and forms pools in pockets 2 in which the sandprecipitates while the clear'water flows off over the top.

The builder may be of any convenient construction or material. In theembodiment .shown in the drawings I have employed boards 10, set in thesand to a depth suflicient to prevent leakage and set at right angles toeach other so as to form a zigzag line. These boards are built up abovethe level of the beach to a height suflicient to enable them to exercisea retarding action on the receding flow. In order to support boards 10,and hold them properly in place, piles 11, are driven on opposite sidesof the boards. These piles are driven deep enough to provide therequisite strength and support for boards 10, but should ex-- tend asufiicient height above the level of the beach to enable them to supportother boards which may be subsequently placed on top of the originalwall as the pockets fill up with sand.

At either end of the builder a wing wall 6, may be run back beyond highwater mark, at any desired angle, or the end may be connected with aspur jetty 7 Similar walls or spurs may be run back as often as desiredT from any one of the landward apices 5, to prevent the scouring of thebeach bycoastwise currents.

Obviously, the carrying out of my process isnot limited to any onestructure, but the builder may be varied as to material, height, .shapeor form, as circumstances will admit, but it is necessary that some sortof pocket or pockets be formed which do not oppose the front of thelandward flow, but constrict it and enable it to pass over the top ofthe barrier, but are capable of retarding the lower layer of a seawardflow.

Referring more particularly to Figs. III and IV, Fig. III, represents abuilder when first placed on the beach. It is placed slightly above thelower water line 15, and the top board 12, is arranged to be slightly.

' below the high water line 16. In this way some of the waves with eachtide are compelled to flow over it, carrying sand which will bedeposited and caught by the builder. The piles 11, however, roject up tothe line 17, of the storm tide, a ove which the waves never come, andabove which any builder barrier would be useless.

Fig. IV, shows the builder after it has been in operation for some time,and has been filled to its capacity, building up the beach to its stormlevel by the addition of other boards above the board 12, which was Ioriginally the top but which is now quite buried. A second builder 18,similar to the first has been erected at a point on the seaconsists incausing each landward flow caused by the waves to pass over a barrier atcertain points, dividing each seaward fiow at-said 'points,and causingit to pass aback over said barrier at certain other points, whereby itis checked sufiiciently to permit precipitation of the sand carried 3..The processpt beach building which landward flow caused the waves,whereby itis given power enough to carry sand with it over a barrier ata certain oint and dividing each seaward flow at sald points, whereby itis caused to pass back over said barrier at certain other points, whereit is checked sufficiently to permit precipitation of the sand carriedthereby.

4. The process of beach building, which consists in providing on a beachwithin tidal limits a three-sided inclosure, capable of retaining sand,and causing the landward flow occasioned by the waves to be deflectedand constricted toward one or more points along the front of saidinclosure, whereby at said consists in'constricting a portion of eachpoint or points the flow is given power enough to carry sand with itover the front of the inclosure, and checking each receding fiowsufliciently to permit precipitation of the sand carried thereby.

5. In a beach builder, thc combination of substantially water-tightmeans for constricting a portion of each landward flow toward a certainpoint whereby it is given suflicient power to carry sand with it over abarrier at that point, means for deflecting each seaward flow away fromthat point to points where no landward flow is encountered, and meansfor checking the seaward flow at said points sufiiciently to permitprecipitation of the sand carried thereby.

6. A continuous zigzag and substantially water-tight retaining walllocated on a beach subject to wave erosion, and extending above saidbeach a sufiicient height to direct the landward flow to certain pointsand the seaward flow to certain other points.

7. A continuous zigzag and substantially,

water-tight retaining wall located on a beach subject to wave erosion,said wall having a continuously level top extending above the beach tosuch a height that each landward flow is divided by the seaward points,and caused to pass over the wall at the landward points, while theseaward flow is divided by the landward points, and caused to passbackover the wall at the seaward points.

8. A continuous zigzag and substantially water-tight retaining .walllocated on a beach subject to waveerosion in such a position as toprovide seaward'pockets-and landward pockets, together with side wallsextending back from said zigzag wall toward the land to a point beyondthe high water mark.

9. A substantially water-tight retaining seaward flow is divided by saidapex and located on a beach subject towaveerosion caused to flow backover the wall at other Within the tidal limits, said inclosure havingpoints. 7 I a plurality of seaward points, whereby each I 310.three-sided and substantially waterincoming How is divided and caused toflow 5 tight inclosure capable of retaining sand over the wallintermediate said points.

located on a beach subject to wave erosion In testimony whereof, I havehereunto Within the tidal limits, said inclosure having signed my nameat Philadelphia, Pennsylii a zigzag wall substantially parallel to' theVania, this seventeenth day'of May 1915.

shore line and side Walls running back from 10 said zigzai wall to apoint above the 'high JOSEPH PERCY. REMINGTON water mar Witnesses:

' 11. A three sided and substantially water- JAMES H. BELL,

tight inelosure capable of retaining sand E. L. FULLERTON.

